Bee Intelligencer “For what avail the plough or sail, or land or life, if freedom fail?” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Prst. Std. U.S. Postage Paid Naugatuck, CT #27
Informing the towns of Middlebury, Southbury, Woodbury, Naugatuck, Oxford and Watertown AN INDEPENDENTLY OWNED FREE COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
Volume X, No. 25
July 2014
Baseball parents cry foul By MARJORIE NEEDHAM A group of parents whose children are in the Middlebury Baseball Inc. program, Concerned Parents of Middlebury Baseball, has scheduled an informational meeting for parents of past, present and future program participants Monday, June 30, at 6 p.m. at Shepardson Community Center in Room 5. Middlebury Baseball is part of the Cal Ripken League. Some parents say the league is not following its bylaws and had a secret meeting sometime early this year. At that meeting, they said, a small group chose this year’s officers – President Joe Koziol, Vice President Vincent Anelli, Secretary Jim Styblo, Treasurer Pat Dunfee and Vice President Bob Twombly – among themselves instead of having open elections. The parents also say the baseball program is suffering because those who object to the officers’ actions are banned from participating in the program, leaving teams with no coaches and depriving youth of the opportunity to play ball. Glenn Dean said, “I’ve been coaching in sports for 25 years and probably am one of the top coaches.” He coached for Middlebury Baseball last year, but he said this year he wasn’t allowed to coach. He believes that’s because the officers think he was involved in attempted overthrow of the organization. Dean said, “What has happened here is they are running it like a good old boys’ league. The only way to run a league is to run it in a democratic way with elections and all.” And, Dean said, “It’s the kids who suffer; it isn’t me. I love coaching, I love sports and I love teaching kids.” Rebecca Hare-Roque, parent of a player said, “They collect over $15,000 a year from us, and
we aren’t invited to a meeting. My biggest pet peeve is they don’t bid out anything. They don’t get three bids on anything.” Dean said, “We’ve asked to see the books, and they won’t let us.” Theresa Giancarli has two children in the program, an 8-year-old and an 11-year old. She said she has concerns: “There is no information. There have been no board meetings. We have not been involved in any decisions. The teams that are being chosen and the coaches being chosen are secretive.” Giancarli said parents did not get a message about an annual meeting. When some parents sent out an email calling for an annual meeting Jan. 8, the board sent out an email saying there was no Jan. 8 meeting. The board said in its email that “a group not affiliated in any way with Middlebury Baseball” had used the program’s email distribution list without authorization. The email also stated Middlebury Baseball “is governed by a set of bylaws that have been in place since 1985.” “It’s in the bylaws there is to be an annual meeting,” Giancarli said. The bylaws state the annual meeting will be held the second Wednesday in January. This year, that was Jan. 8. Giancarli also is frustrated that tryouts for her 8-year-old’s travel team (a 9U team) weren’t held until after the date by which teams had to be formed. Then parents were told there weren’t enough coaches or kids for a team. She said Coach Dan Mardorf pulled a team together with no help from Middlebury Baseball. Hare-Roque said Middlebury Baseball didn’t get the team’s paperwork in on time, so the team can play but not travel. Giancarli said she has responded to emails sent out by
– See Baseball on page 4
Middlebury Dog Park Committee members and their dogs, front, left to right, Lois Yager with Maverick (owned by Mary Lou Arnson) and Ryla, Beverly Dassonville with Chloe and Wylie, Mary Lou Arnson with Lily and Tinkerbelle, Benjamin Modeen with Ollie, and Julie Modeen with Otto and rear, left to right, Diane Vagnini and Nancy Modeen, whose dog Cookie was at home, meet in Meadowview Park to walk their dogs. The group hopes to raise money for a Middlebury dog park where dogs can safely run off leash. (Marjorie Needham photo)
Residents seek flood insurance relief By MARJORIE NEEDHAM Thirteen Middlebury residents concerned about their rising flood insurance premiums attended the June 16 board of selectmen (BoS) meeting after missing the June 2 BoS meeting due to a misunderstanding about the meeting location. First Selectman Edward B. St. John apologized for the misunderstanding and asked if all had received a copy of the Milone and McBroom report on the issue that was handed out June 2. St. John’s assistant provided copies of the report for those who needed them. During public comments, two spokesmen for the group, Greg Cyr of Porter Ave-
nue and Joe Flanagan of Regan Road, explained the group’s concerns and said they hoped the town would do something to help them. They said they had met the previous week with representatives from Sen. Richard Blumenthal’s office and some FEMA representatives, who told them they would reach out to the town regarding mitigation steps the town could take. According to the Milone and McBroom report, mitigation steps taken by towns and/or by homeowners can lower flood insurance premiums. Cyr said he hoped the town would meet with the representatives. St. John said the town is already working on setting up a
By TERRENCE S. MCAULIFFE
The Thomaston Hit Club 11U team members, front, left to right, Devon Bade (Southington), Hunter Dombal (Southington), Aidan Donohue (Litchfield), Nate Duhaime (Bristol) and Nate Wychulis (Wolcott); second row, left to right, Aaron Bainer (Torrington), Ty Harkness (Thomaston), Warren Hill (Colebrook), Glenn Halliday (Southington), Kyle Simpson (Prospect) and Bryce Taglialatella (Middlebury); and third row, left to right, Coach Carm Farese (Watertown), Head Coach Carmine Farese Jr. (Watertown), Assistant Coach Keith Harkness (Thomaston) and Bench Coach Tom Bainer (Torrington) are the East Shore Travel Baseball League Tournament and League champs. They will play in a national tournament in Rehoboth Beach, Del., July 10 to 13. (Donald Taglialatella photo)
Legal Notices.................. 7 Library Happenings.......... 2 Library Lines...........................2 Puzzles..................................7 Senior Center Events....3, 5 Winning Ways................. 5
Editorial Office: Email: mbisubmit@gmail.com Phone: 203-577-6800 Mail: P.O. Box 10, Middlebury, CT 06762 Advertising Sales: Email: mbiadvertising@gmail.com
saturday
June 28
Upcoming Events
Book Review................... 2 Classifieds....................... 7 Community Calendar....... 2 Fire Log........................... 4 In Brief............................ 4 In The Garden................. 6
– See Flood on page 4
Conservation Commission denies post-removal permit
Thomaston Hit Club 11U
Inside this Issue
meeting. On June 25, St. John said a meeting date had not yet been set, but the town was still working on setting one up. Cyr asked if the town would give tax abatements on the affected properties because they have lost value. St. John said that was a matter to discuss with Tax Assessor Chris Kelsey. Cyr said when he appealed his property value this year, he was given a 5 percent reduction, but he felt the reduction should have been 15 percent. Kelsey said Wednesday he can’t do anything until the 2016 revaluation because the flood insurance issue didn’t exist when
friday July 4
wednesdaY July 9
The Middlebury Conservation Commission (CC) at its June 24 meeting voted against a permit for tree and brush removal already done by a Regan Road resident. It approved parking area changes at the Ridgewood development and drainage system plans at 891 Straits Turnpike. An application by Joseph Bernardi of 450 Regan Road for a permit for brush removal on Lot 119 was not approved because he failed to submit details requested Feb. 25. Bernardi had been issued a cease-and-desist order for removing brush and trees in the Hop Brook Wetlands Review Area. He was expected to describe those activities and present plans to complete grading activities, silt removal, discharging of drains and temporary trail bridges. His application
was not addressed at the March meeting when no quorum of commissioners was present, and Bernardi failed to appear at the April and May meetings. A plan for Toll Brothers to modify parking and recreation areas in the green area at Ridgewood of Middlebury was unanimously approved after detailed planting, erosion control and maintenance plans were presented. Carlos Ruiz, a project engineer for Milone and MacBroom, said parking behind several units was unappealing to prospective buyers. He showed revised plans where the parking would be relocated to the site of a gazebo, and the gazebo would exchange locations with a playscape. An access drive planned for the parking would be gravel rather than bituminous, resulting in less impervious coverage. Also unanimously approved
were construction plans for Garrett Moore to remove a dilapidated old house and excavate 7,900 cubic yards of soil at 891 Straits Turnpike to prepare the way for a new 7,500-square-foot office building for the law firm Moore, O’Brien, Yelenak and Foti. Attorney Michael McVerry told commissioners improvements to the driveway and addition of parking areas would fall inside the 100-foot Wooster Brook regulated area. Commissioners agreed stormwater detention was not a consideration. In other matters, commissioners unanimously voted to cancel the July meeting after Wetlands Enforcement Officer Deborah Seavey confirmed there were no new applications. The next regular CC meeting will be Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2014, at 7:30 p.m. in Room 26 at Shepardson Community Center.
Rose Hope Animal Refuge Annual Fundraiser
What: Kitten and puppy adoptions, raffle, bake sale, vendors, face painting When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Where: LaBonne’s Market, Straits Turnpike, Watertown, CT
Happy Fourth of July Free Connecticut Bristol Old Tyme Fiddlers Concert What: When: Where:
First of three free summer concerts in Woodbury 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Hollow Park in Woodbury (In case of inclement weather, event will move to historic town hall on Mountain Road.)
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